Academy Arc – The Changing Winds

XXXXX

The young boy kept a soft smile on his face as he sat at the dining room table. He kicked his feet like a child as he waited for dinner to be set. His father sat to his right, at the head of the table. The man read the paper in his hands, every so often glancing at his four year old son. They shared the same raven hair and dark eyes, as well as the same inquisitive look on life. While the older man's expression held a behind it the weariness of life, his son still retained in him the innocence of youth. And yet...

Dark eyes narrowed, and his son's smile widened. His child was not normal. No, he was normal. Too normal. There was nothing spectacular or even out-standing about his child. The boy, Kaeru Nara, was the epitome of a normal child. He didn't scream, he didn't cry, he didn't laugh loudly... It was as if his son merely existed. Brats his age should have been going out and causing trouble. Playing games with his friends and similar things. But he didn't.

Even in the academy, Kaeru stayed to himself and made decent grades, but that was it. He did nothing of the sort. "Papa?" his son's voice drifted into Shatone's ears. The older man glanced at the young boy. "Why aren't you fighting in the war going on?"

"I do better work here," the Nara spoke to his child. "Our family makes a lot of the medicine the village uses to heal our shinobi brethren. Not all wars are fought on the front lines, brat." Kaeru nodded to himself, as if taking the information to heart. He should have been too young to understand that, even for a Nara. Yet, his son was indisputably a genius. But his grades in the academy were still mediocre at best. It scared Shatone, but he didn't know why.

"Kaeru," Shatone spoke up once more. "How are you doing in the academy?" A brief flicker of worry passed over his son's eyes.

"I'm doing ok," the boy replied, looking back to the table. "We're learning about chakra and are starting control exercises."

"I see," the elder Nara replied slowly. "Are you making any friends?" Kaeru was silent, and his eyes didn't lift off the table. Despite being so smart, his boy was terrible at hiding his own emotions, even when he tried.

"Not really," the boy replied. "Nobody really talks to me."

"Sometimes you have to talk to others, brat," Shatone sighed the obvious response. "Tell you what, I want you to make a friend this week. Don't really care who, just make a friend."

"Ok," his son replied simply. Shatone nodded and looked back to his paper, only for it to be yanked out of his hands.

"No paper at the table, hun," his girlfriend, Emiko, smiled at him as she passed by. The young woman tossed his paper over to a cupboard, "I made both of your favorite: steak and pork hotpot with mushrooms, bamboo shoots, slices of potato and my specialty noodles!" The grin on Kaeru's face was palpable, while Shatone's own smile was more relaxed.

"Did I ever tell you that you're my favorite girlfriend?" the elder Nara asked, trying to hold back his drooling from the smell of the food. Emiko removed the lid of the pot, letting out a lot of steam as well as even more scents into the room.

"I'm your only girlfriend," the young woman replied, giving her boyfriend a pointed look. "Unless you have something to confess, you bastard?" The young man only laughed in response. "Jerk. Fine, I suppose you can still eat this wonderful meal I so lovingly prepared for you, you big jerk." There was no bite in her words, despite their harshness.

"Mama is the best!" Kaeru cheered, waiting for his father or mother to fill his plate. Emiko smiled at her son's enthusiasm before giving her boyfriend a sly look.

"See? At least someone appreciates me around here," she teased him. Shatone rolled his eyes, though the soft smile never left his face. "So, how was work today, dear?"

"Could've been better," the Nara sighed, his good mood fading a bit. "We lost some ground against Iwa (Stone), and Suna (Sand) has been holding their ground against us. Bastards are using their puppets, so it's hard to know when you're fighting a real person or not. By the time you realize it's a fake, it's too late."

"What's their puppets like, papa?" Kaeru asked as Emiko slid some beef and potatoes onto his plate. She and Shatone shared a look.

"It's nothing you need to worry about right now, Kaeru," his mother told him, offering the boy a patronizing smile. The boy pouted. "Not until you're much, much older."

"But... I want to learn more," the boy replied. Shatone took a deep breath.

"Puppets are weapons that some shinobi in Suna use," Kaeru's father began.

"Shatone!"

"He has the right to know, Emi," the man replied, feeling significantly older than he looked. "He's going to have to fight them eventually. It's the nature of shinobi to kill each other, and I'd rather our son not be the one being killed."

"But still..." the woman replied, but her argument was slowly fading away. "Fine. I'm not happy about this, though."

"You think I am?" Shatone asked. There was a lull before he addressed his son again. "We're not sure how they use their puppets, but they can control them with frightening efficiency. These puppets are laden with traps and poisons, and inexperienced shinobi can be slaughtered by them."

"Chakra?" the boy asked.

"Well, it is obvious that they need chakra to control the puppets," the elder Nara acknowledged. "We just don't know how. They're still relatively new to us, and we haven't been able to study their methods." Kaeru nodded slowly. "Our enemies are incredibly dangerous," Shatone explained further. "It's my job to make them less so."

"The bakugan?" Kaeru added, making his father pause. "They see chakra, right? Can they see how?" Shatone considered the idea. While sending a Hyuuga onto the battlefield was risky, especially since their eyes were so valuable and sought out, it could provide valuable insight on their enemies.

"That might work," the Nara replied, nodding slowly. "I'll ask my boss to see if he can put in a recommendation to the Hokage."

"Joe-kage," Kaeru smiled at the title and laughed a bit. Both Emiko and Shatone laughed as well, thankful for the shift in atmosphere.

"Don't you let them hear you call him that, you little brat," the elder Nara told his son, taking a bite of his food afterwards. "I'm sure Lord Third wouldn't mind, he seems to be very kindly to anyone who isn't his enemy, but any other higher ups would throw a fit."

"Ok," the four year old replied. Shatone and Emi shared another look, but continued the night like normal. It was only later, as they laid in bed, that they discussed their child.

"I'm worried about him," Emiko told her boyfriend as she undressed for the night. Shatone was already in bed, reading a book by the candlelight. "He's so young; he shouldn't be worried about war and what our enemies are like. You shouldn't be encouraging him, either."

"Eventually our son is going to have to figure this all out," was the reply. His eyes never lifted off of his book. "I'd rather he learn from us rather than learn by having a kunai stuck between his eyes. Wouldn't you?"

"That's not the point, Shatone," his girlfriend shot back. "We're going to teach our son to be a killer if we keep this up."

"Isn't that what a shinobi is trained to do?"

"I don't want my child to become a psychopath!"

"He'll be fine, Emi," Shatone finally closed his book and set it on the table beside his side of the bed. Emi slipped under the covers, holding her body against his. "Our kid is smart. Scary smart, even. I'm sure he'll be able to tell the difference between what's right and what's wrong." Emiko was silent as she laid her head on his chest. Her hand reached out for his.

The Nara gave her a gentle smile, even though her eyes were closed. His hand took hers and held it over his heart. "I'm scared, dear. Our son is being raised in the middle of a war, and we can't protect him."

"I know," was his response. His hand squeezed hers reassuringly, and he took a deep breath. "I know. That's why we have to teach him to become strong, Emi." Silence sat between the two of them. Shatone briefly felt Emi nod on his chest, before he felt her tears. The Nara's lips pursed, but he didn't say another word. He didn't need to.

Both of the adults missed the dark brown eyes that peered at them through a crack in their door. Eyes filled with weariness and worry. The soft patter of small, bare feet filled the hallway as Kaeru made his way back to his own bedroom. He closed the door softly behind him before climbing into the soft mattress and pulling the covers over his own body. The young boy stared at the ceiling.

Kaeru had a secret. It wasn't unusual for a child his age to have a secret. In fact, it was perfectly normal. His secret was anything but, though. Most children held secret friends, or maybe that they stole some sweets when their parents weren't looking. Kaeru's secret was that he wasn't actually a child. He was a fully grown man that had been reborn into what he had once considered a fictional world.

His name had once been Kai. Or at least, that's what he had called himself. Kai had been a grown man who died alone, and with his dying breath begged to be given another chance at life. That was when he met Salvador. Salvador was a devil, or even possibly THE Devil. Despite the strange name for the lord of evil and hell, he had struck a deal with Salvador. To continue living, all for the price of... well, to be determined later.

Kai didn't exactly have a lot of value, and his immortal soul apparently wasn't worth much either. The boy dreaded to think what Salvador would wish for in return, but the temptation was too great. Kaeru would live the life that Kai never could; that he could only dream of.

The dream of being normal. Maybe normal was stretching it, though. He lived in a world of militarized shinobi, of all things. Perhaps a better word would be content. He would live a content life, a far cry from his self-destructive life in the past. He would become someone great of his own merits, with a family and even grandchildren if he was lucky. Kaeru wanted nothing more.

Yet his own ambition betrayed him. To be someone fantastic and spectacular. To be a hero. His old, youthful dream to be someone looked up upon. It wasn't something he could ignore. He wasn't sure he wanted to, either. That was why he had asked his new father those questions. Maybe, just maybe, he could not only go past being normal, but become someone spectacular.

With those drifting concerns fleeing his mind, Kaeru allowed himself to fall asleep. Not before his father's request passed through his consciousness. To make a friend. Well, he had little trouble doing so in his youth during his previous life. It was sure to be easy this time, as well.

XXXXX

Kaeru walked slowly to school, branding a navy blue shirt and khaki pants with a single pocket on each leg. On his back was a bright red bookbag made for someone his size, filled with pencils, note paper, a few dulled kunai as well as a book about chakra theory written by a former Konoha (Leaf) shinobi. His hair, a dark black, was cut short by his mother. It was styled in a bowl-cut, which was easy to care for.

As he approached the ninja academy, he noticed someone walking past him. A quick glance to his side revealed a grey haired boy with dark eyes. "Kakashi," he greeted him, giving him a light smile. The boy turned to him and frowned under his face-mask, rolling his eyes before moving on past him. Kaeru sighed, before following after. "What a jerk."

"I'm surprised you even made it another day, Uchiha," Kaeru frowned at the other voice that spoke up behind him.

"It's Nara," he corrected the young boy who pulled up beside him. "My mother was banished from the clan, and I don't even have the Sharingan, Senju Daikorama." The brown haired boy scoffed and rolled his eyes at the reply.

"Sharingan or not, you're still a dirty Uchiha," Daikorama replied, sneering at the boy. "My dad says that someday your family is gonna be wiped out." The irony was not lost on Kaeru. "I bet you'll all end up killing yourselves!" He could make a kunai with all that irony. Kaeru decided to not respond at all, and instead moved on towards the academy. He kept his eyes to his feet, moving through the door into the academy building. He hated school.

It was boring, and a lot of the things they taught him, he already knew. At least, when it came to math and sciences. The only interesting parts were chakra control exercises, and even that got old after a while.

The young Nara sat in the back-left of the classroom, laying his head on the desk. He shut his eyes, hoping to grab a little bit of sleep before class started. It was seven in the morning, after all, and Kaeru had never been much of a morning person. The young man let out a soft sigh. Nobody really sat beside him, anyways.

It was only a few minutes until the teacher, an Aburame, took to the front desk. "Silence," he spoke a single word, and the classroom, active with young children, quieted down. "We have a new student today who was brought in late. Hyuuga Kenkin, come in." Kaeru slightly opened his eyes as the new student came in. She was probably shorter than him, and had a rounded face and a cute, upturned nose.

The girl's hair was long, and held a raven color to it. Her eyes, of course, were a very faint lavender that almost seemed blank. She wore traditional white robes, and had bandages around her forehead, hiding what must have been her clan's Caged Bird Seal. "Introduce yourself," the Aburame stated.

"My name is Hyuuga Kenkin," her voice was soft like linen, though held almost a chiming sound to it like bells. "I am four years old, and I enjoy... reading." Her words were slow and forced, as if she were staring down her own demise. After listing her hobby, she looked down at her feet and wouldn't look back up. The teacher seemed to feel that was enough.

"You may sit next to Kaeru in the back," he stated, pointing to the empty seat on the boy's left. Kenkin quickly nodded, ascending the stairs up to his area. Dark brown eyes watched her carefully as she sat down beside him. Her posture was rigid. "Now, yesterday we spoke about kunai and the best way to throw them-"

Kaeru listened partially as the teacher droned on, already having figured out everything in his head about throwing a kunai straight. The boy instead paid attention to Kenkin, who was raptly taking notes in her paper. She looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place where she was from, or who she could be related to. His eyes then wandered the rest of his class. Aside from Kakashi, none of the rest were really worth noting. Well, maybe Obito and Gai and the rest of the future Konoha Jonin, but the rest of them were all pretty much trash.

His eyes closed again, and Kaeru could feel himself beginning to doze off once more. This was boring. Maybe when he woke up, they would be doing something more interesting. Maybe.

Kaeru awoke to snickering and giggles. His eyes slowly opened, and his teacher was standing in front of him. Kenkin was gripping the desk tightly, obviously uncomfortable. All eyes, though, were on Kaeru. His teacher stood before him, arms in his pockets and emotions tightly sealed as always. There was a telltale hum of irritation, though. Not a normal, human hum. An insectoid hum. The insects inside of the Aburame's body, a trait of their clan, were irritated like their keeper. "Hello, sensei," the boy greeted his teacher, yawning afterwards.

"Do my lessons bore you, Kaeru?"

"Yeah."

"I see. What would you consider more interesting?" The humming- no, buzzing was louder than before.

"I want to learn about the other villages," Kaeru replied. While the buzzing was still present, it softened a bit. The Aburame's voice was incredulous as he spoke again.

"The other villages?" he asked.

"Their weaknesses. How they fight. How to beat them," Kaeru explained further. "We're going to be shinobi. We need to know how to kill them. There's a war going on, you know."

"I am... aware," the snickering and giggling had stopped, and Kaeru noticed everyone was giving him weird looks. Even the Aburame, whose eyes were hidden, seemed to be lost in thought. "I will take it up with the Hokage. You make a very logical point. How do I know this? You children are being trained to be soldiers, so you must be made aware of the dangers."

Kaeru's teacher made his way back to the front of the classroom. "We will continue with the normal lesson, but I will ask if we can adjust them to better fit this time of war." Kaeru noticed that both Kakashi and Kenkin were giving him odd looks. Kakashi seemed to be a little bit impressed, while Kenkin had a more curious expression.

"Hm, what do you want?" he asked her. Despite the lack of bite in his tone, the Hyuuga flinched.

"I, um," she stammered. "You're very wise." She looked down at her desk, briefly shooting glances over at her neighboring student . Kaeru gave her a hint of a smile.

"I guess," he replied nonchalantly. "You're that new student."

"Y-Yes, I am," the girl confirmed for him. "It's nice to m-meet you." The boy nodded slowly in agreement, his eyes drooping. He was still so exhausted. He hated mornings. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," the Nara reassured her. "Just tired. I..." He paused. This was his chance to make a friend. Well, it would be easy, at least. "Hey, are you doing anything after school?"

"I should probably go back home," Kenkin trailed off as she spoke. She didn't seem too keen on the idea. "My family will be worried about me."

"Screw that," Kaeru yawned after he spoke. "I have to get stuff at the market today. Wanna come with me?" The Hyuuga hesitated. "I'll buy you dinner, or something."

"E-Eh?" her face flushed a bright red at the offer. "D-Dinner? That's so sudden, Nara."

"Kaeru," the boy corrected her. "It's not like a date or anything. Friends spend time together, right?"

"Friends," her voice trailed off once more. "I would like to be friends. After school, y-you said?"

"Mm," the boy nodded again. "You'll come with me?" The girl was silent for a moment, and Kaeru could hear his teacher prattling on.

"Y-Yes, I will," Kenkin smiled at him. It was a soft, genuine smile. Kaeru felt his heart skip a beat. Even though he was mentally an old man... his body and hormones were still that of a child.

The two were silent after she spoke, with Kenkin once more taking notes on the subject being taught, and Kaeru doing his best to not fall asleep, and failing.

Several hours later brought the class outside for their final class session, which was sparring with one another to judge combat ability. Students were judged based on individual skill, rather than how they stacked up against one another. The students themselves, though, didn't care.

"Yeah, go get him, Kakashi!" some girl shouted eagerly. The silver haired boy was fighting against Might Gai. While Gai was nothing special now, he was definitely giving it his all.

"Kick his butt!"

"Knock him out!"

"That's the match," the teacher called as Gai was knocked out of the ring. "Make the Seal of Reconciliation." Gai sighed, as he stood up, making the seal with an extended hand. Kakashi did the same, though somewhat reluctantly. "Now, stand aside," the Aburame instructed. "Next will be Hyuuga Kenkin and Nara Kaeru." The two students approached the ring. Kenkin was hunched over herself, nervous. Kaeru was slouching, having just awoken from a nap.

"Make the Seal of Confrontation," the teacher instructed. Both Kenkin and Kaeru held up half a Ram seal before them. "Begin!"

Kenkin's eyes didn't change. That was the first thing Kaeru noticed. She wasn't trained in using her Byakugan. At least, not effectively to use in combat. Then again, she was four and definitely not a prodigy. Her movements were far too hesitant as he approached, deciding to rush her. His gaze was still lazy, and his movements loose as he quickly approached. It made for an intimidating sight to an unprepared child.

Unfortunately, he'd underestimated her.

"Hah!" her fingers flew forward towards his face, and his eyes widened. As unconfident and nervous as she'd looked before, Kenkin was now acting without hesitation as soon as he'd drawn near. A ruse!

Kaeru paid for his mistake as a large blast of Chakra came from the sweep of her hand, sending the boy back towards the edge of the ring. The Nara skidded across the dirt, watching his opponent more cautiously. Her Byakugan was active, and she stood with a confident and controlled stance. She knew he wouldn't be fooled twice. However, she had.

The point was not hers. She hadn't knocked him out of the ring, and had revealed a trump card of hers. She wouldn't be able to pull the same trick twice. Not against a Nara. Not against Kaeru. The boy flew towards her again, moving faster than he had previously.

Her pale eyes tried to track him, losing him for a moment as he circled her before finally pinpointing him as he made to strike. "Not yet," she spoke, aiming to sweep him again. Chakra shot from her hand. It missed. "Wha?"

A sandaled foot slammed against her chin, sending her up into the air briefly before coming down. A rounded kick sent her skidding and rolling across the ground towards the edge of the sparring circle. "I'm not done!" Kaeru shouted, chasing after her. His foot slammed into her side, sending her tumbling out of the ring.

"First point goes to Kaeru," the Aburame announced. "Return to the ring." Kenkin groaned, clutching her side. She whimpered briefly, struggling to stand.

"Hey, are you ok?" Kaeru asked, ovvering her a hand. She took it, and he pulled her up onto her feet. "Do you want to quit?"

"N-No," the girl grunted, limping towards the ring. Fire burned in her eyes as she gazed at the boy. "I want to keep going." Kaeru frowned, but he nodded and returned to his side of the ring. Kenkin took her spot again, clutching her side.

"Begin!" Kaeru made to approach cautiously. He didn't want to hurt the girl too badly, or-

Kenkin rushed him, and his eyes widened. Her fingers slammed into his stomach and let loose a powerful blast of chakra, sending the Nara flying out of the ring with a single hit. She'd been bluffing! A smug smile adorned Kenkin's lips as she walked over to him. "Point to Kenkin," the Aburame announced. "Return to the ring. This will be the final match between the two of you."

"Hey, are you ok?" the Hyuuga asked him, a mirthful smile on her face. She picked the boy up. Kaeru shot her a dirty look. "Do you want to quit?"

"I'm gonna kick your ass," the Nara growled, his fists clenched. Kenkin smiled at that, but said nothing as she took up her position again. Shy she might have been, but she was definitely ruthless in a fight. He had made the same mistake again. "I won't do that again," he told her, stretching his muscles. "I will beat you."

"You'll try."

"Begin."

This time, they both launched towards each other. Kenkin's strikes were quick and precise, keeping Kaeru on his toes. Each evasion was met with another attempted strike, giving him very little time to try and strike back. Every incoming move had to be read quickly. Every opening had to be judged. None of them were wide enough to-

There!

Kaeru took advantage of Kenkin's hesitation to strike his face, and he slammed his head against hers. He, expecting the pain, followed up quickly. Her, not expecting to be head-butt, was briefly stunned by the sudden agony. Kaeru buried his fist into the girl's stomach, adrenaline filling his body. "Grk!" she coughed out as he twisted his hand, burying it deeper into her body. The boy shoved harder with his fist, sending her stumbling back.

While Kenkin definitely had the speed advantage, Kaeru had strength on his side. He followed his punch with a hard kick, aiming for the same place his fist has gone. Her hands, though, caught his leg. "No," she grunted. "Not here!" Her other hand was raised in the air, and she made to chop at his leg.

"You jerk!" Kaeru shouted back, using his free leg to leap into the air and kick her face before she could strike him. His foot didn't connect; instead Kenkin had diverted her hand to block his attack, sending Kaeru's back into the ground. "Oof!"

"I saw you!" Kenkin twisted and spun the boy by his legs for a second before tossing him out of the ring. "Hah!"

"Point to Kenkin. She is the winner," the teacher announced. "Kaeru, get up. Both of you make the Seal of Reconciliation." The two students faced one another and made the seal. While the girl flushed, they both had smiles on their faces.

XXXXX

"You're really skilled," Kaeru spoke to the girl as they left school for the day. The sun was starting to make its descent, and other students shuffled past them as they tried to leave quickly and go home. Kaeru still had to go to the market. "I thought I was going to win." There was a soft pout on his face, as well as a bandage on his arm from when he'd scraped it against the ground during the fight. He'd only noticed the wound after the fight had ended.

"My older brothers ensure that I a-am strong," Kenkin replied, her voice once more meek and soft. She seemed to be able to look at him face to face, though. "Ah, that's him. Big brother Hizashi!" Kaeru blinked at the name as the girl called out to the teenager. The young man in question had long, brunette hair and a stern expression on his face, as most Hyuuga tended to have. Bandages also wrapped around his head, hiding his own Caged Bird Seal.

"Kenkin," Hizashi replied the informal greeting as the two children approached. "Are you ready to return home?" He blinked as he noticed Kaeru approaching alongside his sister. "Who is this?"

"Ah, this is my friend, Kaeru," the girl replied. "He is going to the market today, and i-invited me. May I go?" Hizashi was silent for a minute, his eyes watching the boy carefully. Kaeru likewise returned the gaze, before Hizashi grunted.

"I am sure that father won't mind a detour," a soft smile spread across his face. "Especially if we buy some food for the rest of the clan."

"Thank you, big brother!" the girl gave his leg a loving hug, and his hand came down to pat her head. "Kaeru, this is my big brother, Hizashi."

"Hello," the boy greeted the older male after much previous discussion. The trio becan to walk the dirt streets to the market place.

"Hello," was the equally curt reply. Kenkin glanced between the two males before hugging herself against Hizashi's body. She seemed more comfortable with her brother.

The walk to the market wasn't long, and was equally uneventful. Kaeru and Kenkin shared small discussion along the way, such as favorite colors and animals. Funnily enough, the girl like the color green because it reminded her of grass. She was also quite enthralled by different kinds of birds. Except crows. Crows were apparently scary.

"What about you, Kaeru?" Kenkin asked as the boy bought some fruits from a farmer's stall.

"Hm?"

"Do you have a favorite animal?" the girl reminded him. Kaeru took a minute to think as he took the bag from the older man. Hizashi helped take the paper bag off of the counter, and handed it to the Nara.

"Thank you," Kaeru spoke instinctively, getting a nod in return from both Hizashi and the farmer. "A favorite animal... I like cats," he told her. "They're very smart, and cuddly when they're little. But they can fight hard when they need to." He paused. "Like you, I guess?"

"M-Me?" the girl's face glowed red, and Kaeru hid a smile. She was fun to fluster. Hizashi, though, spotted his quirked lips and shook his head exasperatedly. "I-I'm not cuddly at a-all!" Kaeru only shrugged at her response, but didn't bother arguing further as they left the stall towards the main street.

"When's your birthday?" the boy asked suddenly. Kenkin blinked.

"November twelfth," she told him. "What about yours?"

"My birthday?"

"Mm!"

"July eighteenth," the boy told her. She giggled. "What?"

"I-I'm older than you," Kenkin pointed out. Irritation initially started to build in Kaeru, but he quickly rolled his eyes and squashed it down. He'd forgotten that this was something important to kids.

"Yeah, well..." he grumbled, "only by half a year. So we're the same age, anyways, I think. And I turn five in a few months!"

"I'm already five," the girl replied, and Kaeru paused. He re-did the math in his head. She was right, she was definitely older than him. Wait, when did he start to care about that? Also, she was only partially right, he was mentally far older than she was. Then again, he'd honestly forgotten he was an old man when he was around her. As Kenkin celebrated "defeating" him in another aspect, a small smile graced Kaeru's face. Kenkin was definitely a true friend.

The trio paused briefly for Hizashi to shop for food, before making their way to the Hyuuga clan compound. The sun was setting, leaving a soft orange hue to the village. "We should eat," the elder of the three told them. "Dinner at the Hyuuga clan has already passed, and I highly doubt that we will be given food freely when we return."

"Can we eat there?" Kenkin pointed to a small stall with steam coming out from the top of the entrance. "I've seen it a lot, and I've always wanted to try." The kanji on the front of the dividers was hard for Kaeru to make out, but it said something along the lines of "Ramen Is The Best Pleasure".

"I like ramen," he spoke up, looking to Hizashi. While he was already perfectly comfortable going on his own, he still had to look to the elder for permission due to his age.

"I suppose there could be worse places to go," the elder Hyuuga replied to the two of them. A smile spread across Kenkin's face, and they made their way towards the stand. Already inside were a very familiar couple with crimson and yellow hair. "Hello, Namikaze. Uzumaki."

"Er, Hyuuga, right?" the blonde one replied as the trio sat down. "Good evening. How are you?"

"I'm fine. I'm out for dinner with my little sister and her friend. Kenkin, Kaeru, say hello."

"Hello Mr. Namikaze, miss Uzumaki," Kenkin replied immediately, offering the two a short bow. The blonde man was wearing a green flak jacket, as was the girl sitting beside him. Speaking of...

"Awww, you're so cute, ya know!" the crimson haired girl gushed over Kenkin, whose own face immediately flushed red at the attemtion. "If I had a kid, I'd love for her to be just as cute as you!"

"E-Eh? Kushina," the blonde raised his hands, trying to calm the girl down. "Isn't it a bit too early to think about kids? I mean, uh..." The boy glanced at Hizashi. "Help me," he mouthed.

"You're on your own," the Hyuuga replied silently. Kaeru looked on with amusement as Kenkin's cheeks were pinched. He snickered, but realized his mistake only when Kushina's attention turned to him.

"Look, Minato," she continued, making her way over to the Nara. "This boy is far less flaky than you. He's gonna grow up so handsome!"

"K-Kushina..." Minato's efforts were in vain. "I'm so sorry, we just came back from a mission and she's understandably... stir crazy." The redhead's fists clenched.

"Stir crazy, eh?" her attempted assault on the Nara was interrupted as a wave of fear washed over the men. "It's not my fault it was super boring, ya know! I was even gonna-"

"One miso ramen, right up," a kindly young man spoke up from behind the counter, sliding a bowl where Kushina had once been sitting. In an instant, she was seated again.

"Thanks, old man!" the girl cheered before quickly digging into her food, previous rage gone in an instant. All of the men, as well as Kenkin, watched in bewilderment for a moment.

"R-Right," the man behind the counter shook his head. "Anyways, my name is Teuchi Ichiraku, the owner of this joint. You guys are definitely first timers, aren't you?"

"We are," Hizashi confirmed.

"Great! Well, I have a tradition going that the first bowl for a new customer is on the house," Teuchi grinned at them. "So, what can I get ya? I don't have a whole lot since Kushina there ate a lot of my stock, but I'm sure I can whip ya all up something delicious."

"I-It's not my fault that I burned a lot of energy on our mission," Kushina protested softly. She got patronizing looks in return. "Jerks." The young woman finished the last of her food, and Minato left some ryo on the counter.

"Thank you for the delicious food as always, Teuchi," the blonde followed up. He stood, and took Kushina's hand. "Have a night night, everyone."

"Goodnight!" Kushina waved as they left. Dark brown eyes trailed after them as they left. Kaeru's mind worked in overdrive for a moment before he turned his attention back to the immediate area around him. He would eat, tonight. But he would also plan. He would-

A soft hand grasped his, and Kaeru looked down. Kenkin's fingers interlaced with his own, and she held a gentle smile on her face, along with a blush. She didn't look at him, and instead ordered beef ramen for herself. Kaeru's fingers gripped hers in return.

He could save planning for another time. Right now he was with his friend. He was going to enjoy their time together, something he couldn't have done in his previous life. That evening, eating ramen with his new best friend in a cool, gentle breeze. For the first time in a very long time, Kai- no, Kaeru felt at peace.

XXXXX

The first chapter in the rebooted story, and as you can see it's much slower paced than the original. In fact, this will be about the pace of the entire "book". This story, specifically, will end when Naruto graduates from the Academy with his team, which means we have a long way to go! I'm so excited to see where this ends up! Of course there will be some time skips, but they'll be nowhere near as drastic as in the original, and likely will only happen in the first half. Once we hit Naruto's story, the skips will slow down exponentially.